March 15, 2011

Meade and I shot this video yesterday. I edited to heighten the absurdity of appropriating the civil rights song "We Shall Overcome" (about not being free) and that "Stickin' to the Union" song (about facing union-busting violence).

The protests have been on behalf of well-paid people with excellent jobs — better jobs than the average Wisconsinite's. And the protesters got massive extra doses of freedom to express themselves in the state capitol for over a month, without any threats of violence or even arrest for the crimes they committed in full view of the police. I mean, I know they have their complaints, but they are not even the bottom sector of the Wisconsin economy. If there were to be a class struggle here, they would be taken aback to find themselves in the role they actually have in this economy: the oppressors!

Somehow - compared to things like the Cedar Revolution, the old Iron Curtain nation's citizens standing against the Soviet threat, Poland's Solidarity, and the like - this bunch just doesn't seem as profound.

Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said after the attack on Pearl Harbor ""I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." The Unions have done that as well. Made the attacks on those of us who pay them via our taxes. That strategy did work out to well the first time, not going to do so this time either

They've hijacked the rest of us with their rhetoric - "the people," "the middle class," "Wisconsin workers" - in their attempts to make this a class struggle.

They've hijacked history to suit their message(s) and to justify myopic outrage at "problems" only those in a free and privileged society would dare to complain about so publicly. Compared to the rest of the world, this is nothing.

How people can act like this and say (or sing) the things they're saying with straight faces, I'll never know.

A newly created Facebook page, Realtors in Support of Public Employees, has topped 580 members, who've been trading stories of skittish buyers and angry clients who link the state's real estate industry with Walker. At least two other similar Facebook groups have formed.

Interesting. I had no idea that in Wisconsin, home buyers would cringe at the idea that their property taxes would not be increased to pay for public employee salaries and benefits.

Sounds to me like raising taxes in Wisconsin would be welcomed by the electorate.

The tax payers who have had their collective bargaining rights (granted, a statutory - not constitutional or God-given right) stripped away are protesting the tyranny of the 'purported' majority (did more than one=half of the population vote for Mr. Walker or more than half of the people who voted. Would he have been elected if he had advertised his intention to do what he has done in his first two months in office?) The unions have been made the villains - thugs - clowns - etc., all for doing the job they received training and education to do. A job for which, in the non-lean times, we were happy to pay with our taxes. Why must the budget be balanced on their backs? Why must it have been done in a divisive manner, rather than a unifying manner? Because they are an easy enemy to create and because they are a major financial supporter of one of the two parties. Are they really overpaid? Are they really not worth the money? Would they have really been so unmoving and unreasonable at the baragaining table? Or are we facing a fiscal problem and finding it easier to treat them as a lower class because they work for the municipality, and don't create jobs. Where is the job creation? What jobs are being lured here by the attitude we show-an attitude that says we do not value the people who teach our children, etc. I don't pretend to have answers, I just mourn the fact that the people who serve us are being trashed because it costs money to pay them as we had been paying them for so many years.

Hey Bushman of the KohlrabiIf they don't pay property taxes it's probably because they have not made enough money to get a home loan. All of the union people I know pay property taxes. Are the corporations paying their taxes?

There are lots of lessons being taught here. The police unions have really hurt themselves by not enforcing laws, like the judge's order to close the capitol. The letter to businessmen is another example. Those unions will be included in the next step toward rationalizing unions' power.

Teachers have pretty well made themselves look like trash with the union marches, closing schools and phony doctors' slips.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Over at Megan Mcardle's blog, she has stories of corrupt arrangements, like subsidized parking lots at Yankee Stadium (The new one) going bust. The comments are as cynical as those samizdat letters that used to circulate in the USSR.

The big loser will be government and its reputation. Currently, 23% approve.

Would they have really been so unmoving and unreasonable at the baragaining table?

Look at Illinois, New York and California to see how reasonable public employee unions are when they hold the cards. They're not giving up a damn thing in those states, each of which is in even worse fiscal shape than Wisconsin.

Are those of you who live in Madison not completely embarrassed? Are there no serious people there? I must say I am bored shitless with the stupidity on display in your fair city and wonder if you are not all, every one of you, insane.

So much of this appears completely tone deaf to me: Jesse Jackson, a YouTube tour of the occupied Capitol by a giddy coed, Peter Yarrow, Michael Moore, slogan-chanting children, and the whole class struggle nonsense. I'm not a political consultant, but aren't the republican attack adds practically writing themselves?

Possibly because salaries and benefits tend to be the biggest cost an employer has.

I recall seeing that the average total compensation package for a Wisconsin public school teacher is around $100K annually. That's not too shabby. Then again, perhaps you set a higher bar for compensation and think that's lousy pay.

I disagree with the protesters complaining about teacher salaries. Teachers are making real good money at all levels of education. If a service worker, or factory worker, for example, and not necessarily lawyers and managers, a service worker/factory worker, goes to work at a school/college to teach a trade, they almost always make more money per hour as a teacher, and these are skilled workers -- the kinds of jobs that went overseas that everyone wishes they had a chance at working at today. I worked in advertising, and a teacher's salary would even be higher than my salary just out of school. Teachers also are working in the classroom, maybe a couple of hours at home and weekends, yet are not travelling and are not working 60- to 70-hour weeks which does command a higher salary. Teachers have the benefit of being home for dinner, even those teachers who take on extra-curricular school activities as a way of increasing revenue. I agree that the protesters who are complaining on behalf of teachers are in fact the oppressors and should rather be fighting for the real oppressed, the unemployed, immigrant families who are struggling to survive cuz they may lack skills and a means to an education. They should be protesting in favor of government-sponsored training and education so that everyone in the great RED/WHITE/BLUE states can have a fair chance at real freedom -- independence.

The other night I suffered through the unctuous sermon of a local (Minneapolis)TV reporter on the scene in Madison. He said the day before had belonged to Gov. Walker but today was "the people's" day. I zipped off a protesting email to the station and of course have heard nothing back.It's amazing how many people suffer from the delusion that extortion of government by well organized pressure groups says something positive about our society.

john d hyland: Well, you should all put on clown costumes and give yourselves a big hug because to the rest of the world you look foolish and greedy and unaware of real struggles of real working people both here and abroad. To conflate the "struggle" of the people who work for the government you worship (why would you have a union if the govt is so wonderful) with actual workers whose unions actually helped them shows your ignorance, your sanctimony and your self absorption to be without bounds. You are clowns pretending to be victims.

For the past three decades Wisconsin's state and local tax burden has consistently ranked among the nation's highest; currently estimated at 11.0% of income (4th nationally), above the national average of 9.8%. Compared to the 1977 data, Wisconsin had a tax burden of 12.6% (2nd nationally), decreasing 1.6% overall. Currently Wisconsin taxpayers pay $4,427 per capita in state and local taxes.

Wisconsin's 2011 Business Tax Climate Ranks 40th Wisconsin ranks 40th in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index. The Index compares the states in five areas of taxation that impact business: corporate taxes; individual income taxes; sales taxes; unemployment insurance taxes; and taxes on property, including residential and commercial property. Neighboring states ranked as follows: Iowa (45th), Minnesota (43rd), Michigan (17th) and Illinois (23rd).[...]

Wisconsin Property Taxes: Among the Nation's Highest

Wisconsin is one of the 37 states that collect property taxes at both the state and local levels. As in most states, local governments collect far more. Wisconsin's localities collected $1,423.54 per capita in property taxes in fiscal year 2006, which is the latest year the Census Bureau published state-by-state property tax collections. At the state level, Wisconsin collected $20.44 per capita during FY 2006, making its combined state/local property taxes $1,443.98 per capita, which ranks 11th highest nationally.

Micahel, you wrote: "you look foolish and greedy and unaware of real struggles of real working people both here and abroad." The public sector workers I know ARE facing a struggle with the loss of income proposed by the changes. They, like most today, are two parent households with both parents working and struggling to keep up with a modest mortgage and expenses and plans to put their children through college.You also wrote: "To conflate the "struggle" of the people who work for the government ... with actual workers whose unions actually helped them shows your ignorance" These public sector unions obviously DID help thier workers - that is why cutting their benefits and pay is the first step taken by our governor toward balancing a budget. Are they overpaid? If so, then they have had very effective union representation. Do they enjoy good working conditions? Same response. Wisconsin was the first state in the union to grant public sector collective bargaining rights. After 50 years they are gone - and that would have been achieved without any public dialogue - or election campaigning I might add - had it not been for our 'fab 14' putting the skids on Walker's plans and delaying the inevitable for at least three weeks. During those weeks at least some of the inequities that now pervade our society have been highlighted.

ARE facing a struggle with the loss of income proposed by the changes.

..which would only be to the end of this fiscal budget-without the other things passed it would be right back to the WEAC re-negotiating-for that supposed "talent" the WEAC needs to collect $25 million in dues.

btw-No wonder some of the smuckety smuck lawyers were out protesting with the unions at the tractorcade they get paid to do the negotiations with the bought and paid for by the union politicians. --Only problem is this time Republicans won at the ballot box so the union officials couldn't quite "game" both sides of the negotiation table.

Well, you should all put on clown costumes and give yourselves a big hug because to the rest of the world you look foolish and greedy and unaware of real struggles of real working people both here and abroad

Ian's dished out 35,000 slices of pizza to protesters, donated from every state, and many countries around the world. Walker can't get 10 people down here to support him.

The only goons and ginks are the union finks. They are free- free to take off work, free to litter and damage state property, free to be uncivil, vulgar, and profane, free to do whatever they want- no matter who pays or suffers for it. That is freedom.

Rocketeer67: you wrote: In fact, for the first time in his life, he is proud to be an American. You are worn. I have always been proud - except when my government grinds to a halt because the elected officials put re-election and their financial backers ahead of the public good. This happens nationally all too often - how many times last year did republican senators reverse their position and block legislation just because Obama or the democrats had taken up the same position. I am not proud when things like that happen, and it is because of the influence of money - whether from the unions or the Koch brothers.

One of the Republican assemblyman related this story-(I know who's listening to them?)

When he was in local government before going to the state assembly at his local school district the board found an insurance company that would cover the union members for less saving the school district-

$800,000 annually.

Some of the newer school employees said they would like to make some concessions on their health insurance to maintain their fiscal soundness-by being allowed to keep their jobs. IOW without the health care concessions the school district would have to fire the newer employees.

The assemblyman said he went to the union official (-who was not employed by the state in any way and had no other income except being paid for by the union) and told them the school district would have to do lay offs to make their budget- or- they could get the cheaper health insurance.

The union official refused and said:

Lay offs come with the territory.

He didn't care if members of the union got fired all he cared about was that he got his concessions.

madawskanI am not proud of either side when they act solely in their own self interest. If we had open leadership, instead of deceptive bullying*, on our fiscal issues, it might trickle down to all levels of government. *I use this term because the governor's campaign for office was obviously deceptive - I know union members who voted for him - and the introduction of the bill and expected passage within a matter of days was bullying.

I don't know about that, but I do know it's damn near impossible to explain the problem with public sector unions having a monopoly and too much "extra" representation when it comes to divvying up the Wisconsin state budget-in a sound bite.

My Dad ran numbers for the mob in Pittsburgh during The Depression at the age of sixteen. His "responsibilities" grew with the mob so much as he aged that he decided to get away from them and lied to the US Army volunteering at the age of 17.

Ardennes, Bloody Buckets in the Battle of the Bulge, Vietnam, Korea- but shortly after the conflict.

Let's just say Dear Old Dad has certain skill sets. Now on retirement why did the mob get a hold of him and ask him to help "organize" a steel mill?

If skull crackin' is coming up in your visuals-you might be on to something.

Garage: I went to an away hockey game the other night and I wore my home team's jersey. We beat the home team, the higher ranked team, and after the game I was the subject of some verbal abuse, some light hearted and some drunken and mean and threatening. We won the game.

Why would anyone who won the game voluntarily go down to Madison wearing his Walker jersey and listen to a bunch of cry babies bitch about the score ?

For background, see this, also from Hayes. Seems strange that if Walker “didn’t run on” collective bargaining reform — as the Journal Sentinel’s Politifact Wisconsin now states — the Journal Sentinel itself would have written this back on Sept 13:

Walker wants to make it easier for school districts and local governments to buy insurance through a state-run health benefits program. Barrett would require local governments to insure their workers through a similar program, and he is interested in having schools eventually do the same.

How much money the proposals would save is a question. But both would require legislation. That’s because current state law makes it difficult if not impossible to make any changes in health benefits without the approval of the unions that represent government workers. Under state law, health benefits that are part of an employee’s total compensation are subject to collective bargaining.

Yeah, right, the collective bargaining rights of public employees are what made "taxpayers" slaves - is that the theory you are running with today? Teachers, firefighters, cops, nurses, librarians, teaching assistants, and prison guards are the enemies of all other taxpayers - seriously? You guys are *&^$% in the head.

You might want to learn about the subject matter you are covering. If you are talking public school teachers (and law profs), yes, correct, they are paid pretty well and have negotiated for good benefits. They should be paid well. Whoever said they are always home for dinner and work maybe 2 hours outside of school is really out of touch.

Further, if you are talking prison guards, public school teaching assistants, home health care workers, and the like, you are really just plain old wrong. Even with benefits, they are not paid that well. Being a prison guard basically sucks. Try it.

Also, with regard to public school teachers, should they not be reasonably well compensated? Why don't you watch and try to teach 7th graders of various levels of ability, income levels, and social strata and see how well you do?

One thing I know is simply wrong on policy grounds and morally is to decrease funding to public schools in Milwaukee while giving more money to charters and private voucher programs. Gee, I wonder if that is being done to make more Milwaukee public schools fail? Let's look into our crystal ball....

"Also, with regard to public school teachers, should they not be reasonably well compensated? Why don't you watch and try to teach 7th graders of various levels of ability, income levels, and social strata and see how well you do?"

I always like to remind public employees that they have the option to QUIT, and then tell them to use their talents and skills to make what they're really worth. No takers yet.

Fighting against evil Corporations? The State of Wisconsin is an evil Corporation, one that claims allodial title, eminent domain and only allows citizens to hold title in fief.

This is feudelism. Government is the KINGS, public employees are the LORDS, citizens are the SERFS, and welfare receipients are the MOB. Hence: the LORDS tell the KINGS what they want; their demands are passed onto the SERFS, who MUST pay them. Any SERF who doesn't pay the TRIBUTE for a period of 3 years is removed from their property, and gets to join the MOB. So who's the goons, geeks and company finks? I think the public employees need to take a long hard look in the mirror and stop bankrupting their neighbors. Time to share in the economic pain.

Hyland's apologia for the oppressed teachers and state civil "servants" thoroughly sets out their now familiar arguments.

But It does not even try to make the point that those employees are oppressed in the fashion of victims of the civil rights movement and the non-union workers who were violently attacked by goons hired by the auto and steel manufacturers in the early 20th century.

IOW it has nothing to say about the lameness of singing the old Pete Seegar protest songs.

"Ian's dished out 35,000 slices of pizza to protesters, donated from every state, and many countries around the world. Walker can't get 10 people down here to support him."

Working people don't have the time to show up just for free pizza. Some of us have to actually work to pay for stuff...and other people's stuff. We can't all just stuff our face with free pizza and sing songs.

You want better schools at lower cost? Open these jobs to competition without union interference and you will get both. Or kiss the feet of the union fat cats. Pick one.

REAGEN - Taxes paid by public employees amounts to a kickback. Public employees are paid by taxes collected. Public employees "pay taxes" to give the illusion of fairness.

Property taxes are set after the budget is determined, so revenues collected = amount budgeted.

The Teachers use the power of the Union to elect the public official. Then the public official meets their demands after. QUID PRO QUO. It is so blatant, don't even try to deny it. The citizen, well, who cares about him? NOW, the SERFS have revolted a tad, said enough is enough - look at how irritated you are.

You are confused about how government works, so, sit back and think about it. Denial and rejection is the most common response, so I won't hold my breath.

Actually, public employee wages aren't the problem. Eliminate the sick pay stacking, double and triple dipping, put them on a 401K and eliminate retirement health benefits. You could then give them all a raise and still balance local budgets without raising taxes.

The shock that has reverberated through the private sector since 2008 is now making it's way to public employees. Instead of arguing the way we got here, it is now a GLOBAL ECONOMY, on a finite Planet with finite resources. No more of the good old days of subdizing large lifestyles on the backs of third world people. They want what we have, and we will all have to learn to share. As they get more of the pie, we get less. As they rise, we shall fall. We are working the painful path to equilibrum. The public sector is going to experience the same pain that the private sector has. My suggestion is to stop complaining, and adjust. YES, you overspent, you can't afford that McMansion, SUV, vacation or credit card. It's not all about the babyboomers. Are you so deluded as to think Gen X and Gen Y who are struggling in the new economy will pay your way? LOL. They will repudiate the debt and send you to the Soylent Green factory, or Logans Run ya...When your $$ run out, your disk turns black. The private sector has a 2 year head start on the public employees. It's called FUTURE SHOCK. Welcome to the 21st. century and the global economy. Old dinosaurs go extinct.

Union Shill: The tax payers who have had their collective bargaining rights (granted, a statutory - not constitutional or God-given right) stripped away

No they did not. Collective bargaining has been limited, not stripped.

are protesting the tyranny of the 'purported' majority (did more than one=half of the population vote for Mr. Walker or more than half of the people who voted.

Bullshit. The Unions had EVERY opportunity to work with Walker. They told him to pound sand.

Would he have been elected if he had advertised his intention to do what he has done in his first two months in office?)

He did. For 8 years as County Executive, he did just this thing. And if the Unions didn't know it, then why did they put out literature during the campaign scaremongering that Walker would "bust" the Unions once elected?

The unions have been made the villains - thugs - clowns - etc., all for doing the job they received training and education to do.

No again. They have been made into villians because they are out of touch with middle class, because their Union Thugs made death threats and comitted acts of violence, and because they stormed the Capitol to prevent democracy from functioning.

A job for which, in the non-lean times, we were happy to pay with our taxes. Why must the budget be balanced on their backs?

Because their cadillac entitlements are busting the budgets of local counties and school districts.

Why must it have been done in a divisive manner, rather than a unifying manner?

I've got a better idea. Public education is broke and doesn't work. DUMP IT. Make parents responsible. The private sector will take care of it. It will bring community back together. Volunteer fire departments are a great idea. More community. Let Citizens take greater responsibility for their neighborhoods. Eliminate police. More power to citizens. If you come to rob, rape or loot in my neighborhood, I don't dial 911 and I am armed. When it snows, close the community down. Bring back small business and local marts. HEY PUBLIC EMPLOYEES, WE DON"T NEED YOU. oh, and KILL YOUR TV.

I also don't imagine that many public employees pay more into the system then they take out. But I do.

They are paying in the same as you (BTW, that whole 'hijacking' of terms - like 'taxpayer'...pfft). What they get back is a negotiated paycheck and benefits in exchange for time and talents. We ALL get the services. The exchange works the same as it does for your job.

There is only one way to know if these people are overpaid: See if anyone else wants their job for less.

From 1999 to 2010, I worked in the building where the city of Cincinnati took applications of fire fighters. They would only take applications on particular days when there was a need. Applicants would start lining up with sleeping bags, chairs, food, drink, etc a day or two before applications were to be accepted. I highly doubt is they were expected to agree to the terms Walker wants in Wisconsin that the line would be smaller.

We ALL get the services. The exchange works the same as it does for your job.

No it doesn't. My job (before I retired) and my husband's jobs now are compenensated voluntarily by people who want and need his services. If they don't want his services.....he doesn't get paid. He can't go and do work for people who don't want it and then demand to get paid. If he doesn't provide good service, he won't get hired and will go out of business

Public workers are providing services that I neither want, need or am likely to EVER use.....YET I have to pay for their wages and benefits. I also don't have a choice if I do want the services (like teachers) to go and shop around for a better deal. If the teachers provide crappy service, they are still guaranteed a job. The government won't go out of business no matter how crappy it is.

Corporations don't pay taxes, they collect taxes. Every penny transferred to the government from a corporation comes from their customers. It's a cost of doing business and goes into the price of the product. Econ-101

Link it or it didn't happen! When did Walker publicly vet, argue for, or posit that Wis Stat 111.70 should be amended to take away collective bargaining (except for wages to be capped at 1% of CPI, with all other topics being illegal)? I would really like to see this, because no one in my business saw it coming at all, and we followed the elections quite closely.

No it doesn't. If it was, the market would determine public sector wages and benefits.

And you may be touchy about the term "taxpayer" but the fact remains that private sector workers finance all this government wonderfulness. Otherwise, the whole Ponzi scheme collapses under its own weight.

In my Madison office of 17, 8 back Walker, a number that surprised even me. Madison is a political city - a characteristic that often makes it an interesting, even exciting place to live. That doesn't mean, though, that every resident wears their political affiliation on their sleeve.

On August 30, the Journal Sentinel ran an article on plans by Walker and Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett, his Democratic opponent, to save the state money by revamping health insurance plans for public employees. The reporter spoke to Ryan Murray, a top policy adviser for the Walker campaign, who explained the candidate's plan. "The way the proposal would work is we would take the choice out of the collective bargaining process," Murray said.

So does taking the choice out of the collective bargaining process mean ending it for health care? The reporter certainly seemed to think so. "[Murray] said school districts often have some of the most expensive health benefits in Wisconsin and could receive cheaper insurance through the state if they didn't have to negotiate with unions about who would insure their members."

What was clear to the reporter was also clear to the teachers' unions. "Our members oppose taking away their rights to collective bargaining, so they would definitely raise their voices against it," said Christina Brey, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the union leading protests today.

john d hyland said... Hey Bushman of the KohlrabiIf they don't pay property taxes it's probably because they have not made enough money to get a home loan. All of the union people I know pay property taxes. Are the corporations paying their taxes?

You must be the product of the public education system. While corporations ARE taxed, the taxes they pay are reflected in the price of the goods or services they sell to you and me (consumers). The bottom line is that no matter the tax rate, corporations don't pay taxes any more than public employees do.

Employees of private companies, businesses and self-employed individuals pay ALL income taxes and when you get right down to it, consumption taxes. Why is it so?

Public Employees do not produce goods or services that generate wealth. I know this all confuses you, but I don't care.

A continuing comment on the OPPRESSED public employees and public unions - fuck off, clowns!

You don't get to accuse me of not knowing how to use the Google Machine unless you disprove my point by showing that Walker ever discussed ,proposed, or even mentioned the notion of amending Wisconsin law to eliminate collective bargaining but for wages with a cap of 1% CPI. And you didn't.

The Hispanic Conservative and Wash Post blogs contain nice histories of Walker's negotiations with the unions in Milwaukee. He took a tough stance, as have other executives throughout the state. There was no mention of amending 111.70 to take away colletive bargaining but for wages.

The JS snippet is talking specifically about one issue - the health care insurance company choice - and the teachers and boards and WEAC have indeed been discussing that for several years. Eliminating choice on health insurance is a FAR CRY from amending 111.70 to eliminate ALL topics of bargaining but for wages with a cap of 1% CPI.

Admit it - this was an unheard of measure here in Wisconsin -- the Republicans had every right to pass it -- but it shocked the voters.

@JorgXMcKie:I have lurked on this site years without commenting. I have always found that many of the commentors on Professor Althouse's blog would prefer to shout their opinions into an echo chamber. It really cracks me up how so many of your ilk circle like crows with your ad hominem attacks on the few commentors on this site who disagree with some of your points. YAWN. I dare you to try to find one piece of evidence that Walker dicsussed any notion of amending 111.70 in public, ever. Go ahead and insult me, but you lose this point.

The Internet doesn't have room to list all the things these nitwits don't know. Just in this thread, we see that they don't know how corporate or property taxes work, don't know that public employees don't create wealth*, don't know that being thugs and vandals is frowned upon by the people who will vote against them again next year, don't know that not spelling out every single word of every bill you will support during your campaign isn't lying...

*I give a little slack on this to road-building public employees, but only a little, because there's a ton of waste in every DOT project I've ever seen.

Teachers, firefighters, cops, nurses, librarians, teaching assistants, and prison guards are the enemies of all other taxpayers - seriously? You guys are *&^$% in the head.

I live in Detroit and know something about the labor movement. Collective bargaining (as all bargaining is) is an adversarial situation. A private sector union balances the interests of the workers with the interests of the owners of the company. So tell me, if public employees engage in collective bargaining, who is their adversary?

Unlike the militarized federal agencies, the Wisconsin police do not have a proclivity to start shooting. They did not seem to be spoiling for a fight.

And the Wisconsin protestors did not have guns. Or at least they did not bring them to the site of the confrontation.

Someone on the federal side made a good decision to withdraw in the current case.

The next step would be an inquiry into who so many federal agencies now seem to have their own para-military operations. The answer seems to be "because they can." I am not holding my breath waiting for this to happen though.